Sugar Sabatogue

The average American eats 13 five pound bags of sugar in a year. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar per a day and women should have only 6 teaspoons. With sugar hiding in many foods, it is easy to exceed these recommendations. Here are 5 common places sugar hides that you might not expect:

Jarred pasta sauce: Even some organic, seemingly healthy brands may include sugar in their recipes. Checked the labels for sugar content or better yet choose healthy, green pesto.

Smoothies: Loaded with fruit and mixed with sugar loaded yogurt, some smoothies ca pack as much as 30-80 grams of sugar. When having a smoothie, be sure to include sources of protein and limited the amount of fruit you use.

Flavored yogurt: Flavored yogurts are often loaded with added sugars. A better choice is to buy plain Greek yogurt and add your own unsweetened fruit for flavoring.

Salad Dressing: Eating a big green salad is a great way to add vitamins and minerals to your diet. However, choose your salad dressing wisely. Many commercial dressing can contain more than 2 tablespoons of sugar per serving. Make your own dressings using simple vinegar and oil.

Granola Bars: Many packaged granola bars contain high levels of sugar. To prevent undoing all the hard work of your workout, be sure to check the label of your post workout snack.